Ne Me Quitte Pas
by sarahbeth1925
Summary: Three weeks after the events of 'Cradle to a Grave', a woman shows up at Rousseau's looking for the eldest Mikaelson. "She looks scared, all she kept saying was one word, over and over again." As the family tries to piece together why she is in NOLA, things suddenly become clear. "What word?" Elijah asks. "Hope." Credit to my beta Crushed Seraphim. Rating upped!
1. Chapter 1

Things had been quiet at the compound over the last three weeks. Eerily quiet. Since the birth and _death_ of baby Mikaelson and occupation of the French Quarter by the Guerrera werewolves (led by Francesca "no one saw that coming" Correa) it had been inhabited by only three beings: Elijah, the eldest of the remaining Mikaelson clan, who had taken to his study and was spending much of his time analyzing the more unsavory bits of New Orleans' history – although he had lived through it, he was sure he could find something in these volumes that would be of some use; Hayley, the newest member of the family and recently turned hybrid – whose transformation had been somewhat less than seamless – spent most of her time in the nursery, rocking in a chair in the corner and staring out the window to the world she was now segregated from, or writing for hours on end in her diary; and Klaus, fallen King of the Quarter, who (when he wasn't pacing around like a caged-in animal) had taken it upon himself to assist Hayley with her transition.

Klaus felt responsibility after the loss of their child for Hayley's new _condition_ and believed that they were kindred spirits – unloved by their parents and now doomed to walk the earth as the only remaining two of their kind (news had reached their ears of the fall of the Other Side and Tyler Lockwood's transformation into a human). Hayley was appreciative of his attentiveness; after all, he had shown her little affection in the time they had spent so far in the Big Easy.

Elijah must have felt a hint of jealousy at the bond she was forming with his brother, Hayley realized, but if he did, his nobility wouldn't allow him to show it. Elijah realized there were parts of her nature now that he could not understand, and he had seen a change in her that he felt could not be solely attributed to her transformation. Her brutal and unmerciful dispatching of Genevieve had shown him a darker side to this girl that he was not sure how to reconcile. He was almost content with the fact that she didn't seem dissatisfied at the long hours he spent pouring over old texts; any company she needed to keep she easily found in his brother and he was able to keep his mind off of the idea that she had perhaps changed from the girl he had let into his heart so readily.

The stillness of the compound was amplified one warm evening by the absence of Klaus. He had been called away to the bayou by Jackson, and although Elijah had vehemently protested, Klaus had agreed to go out and see him. If there would be any chance of taking down the werewolves who had overrun their home than Jackson would be their best bet, Klaus had reasoned and Elijah could not disagree.

So Klaus had left Hayley and her well being in his brother's capable hands and was off. He had left early that afternoon, and a solemn calm had fallen over the compound. Hayley had agreed to sit with Elijah in the study instead of isolating herself in the empty nursery, but she mostly just stared out of the window.

Elijah would look away from his reading every few minutes to glance up at her, but she hadn't moved for hours. He searched for a way to break the silence but no words came, so he continued on with his reading.

"Have you found anything?" she asked quietly all at once. Elijah was startled. He was never startled, but he had hardly expected her to speak. These were the first words she had said to him in a week. When he looked up at her she was looking back, her eyes deep with sorrow.

"I'm sorry?" he replied. Her voice had surprised him so much that he hadn't heard the words.

"Have you found anything? You've been in here reading for weeks. Klaus says you're looking for some kind of answer, something to make our home safe again. I want to know if you've found anything."

Elijah watched Hayley intently. There was strength in her voice that he hadn't expected to hear. He wanted to pull her close to him and promise her that he _would_ find something. He wanted to swear to her that he would protect their family, and that one day they would all be together again, but he hesitated.

Elijah didn't make any promises he wasn't sure he could keep.

However, seeing Hayley look at him again with the same conviction in her voice and passion in her eyes that had made him fall for her in the first place caused him to make a decision. He stood and began to move around the desk towards her. Before he could take more than half a step she spoke again, and her words brought him to a standstill.

"Is there something to be found Elijah? Or are you just using your books as an excuse to avoid me now that I'm no longer human?" she accused.

She could have stabbed him with white oak and it would have been less painful. He took only a few seconds to regain his composure, but to him it felt like hours. He then smoothly sat back in his desk chair and steeled his gaze.

"There is something to be found here Hayley and when I find it your life and our home will no longer be in danger. It will be _safe_. But I must discover the solution to our problem before it can be implemented, so if you don't mind…" he explained, bringing the conversation to a raw and uncomfortable end.

Hayley sighed and turned her head back to the window. They sat for a few moments in an uncomfortable immobility, neither knowing what should be done next.

The tension was quickly broken, however, when they both heard the clicking of heels. Someone was running into the compound.

"Elijah!" Cami yelled, frightened and out of breath as she ran into the courtyard. She quickly looked from door to door, waiting for the vampire to appear. "Elijah, help!"

Elijah appeared hastily, followed closely by Hayley, from a door on the second level. He descended the staircase rapidly. "Camille? What is it? Are you hurt?"

Cami shook her head, breathing heavily from running. "It's not me. Where's Klaus? We'll need him, too."

"Klaus isn't here," Hayley declared, following Elijah down the stairs, still placing her hand on her stomach out of habit. "He left early this afternoon."

Cami immediately looked dejected. "When will he be back?" she demanded, panic and fear in her eyes.

"Camille, calm down," Elijah demanded. He led her to the corner of the courtyard where there was a patio set and pulled out a chair for her to sit in and catch her breath. "Tell me what happened," he implored. Hayley and Elijah both sat at the table across from her to listen to her story.

"I was working at Rousseau's this afternoon, and a young woman came in. She was asking for you," Cami began.

Elijah's eyes widened. "For me?" he asked. "Who was this woman?" He was cautiously curious.

Cami took a deep breath. "I have no idea. She just wandered into the bar and asked if I knew where she could find Elijah Mikaelson," she informed him.

Elijah thought for a moment. "And what did you tell her?" he questioned.

"I didn't have the chance to say anything at first. Francesca was there. She asked how this woman knew you. It was creepy; they looked like they were sizing each other up," Camille explained. Her heart rate had finally slowed and her breathing was back to normal, but she still looked terrified.

"What did she say?" Hayley wondered. She was intrigued at what this mystery woman had done that had caused level-headed Cami to become so unnerved.

Cami shook her head. "All she said was that she was an old friend of yours. She told me she had come by the compound earlier but that the place looked deserted and she was wondering if anyone knew where you were staying. Before I could tell her that you were here Francesca had basically chased her off," Cami continued urgently.

"What did this woman look like?" Hayley questioned.

"Long dark hair, dark eyes, almost black. Short, maybe five foot four or so. She was beautiful, but there wasn't anything distinctive about her that I could tell you," Cami described.

"Does she sound like someone you know?" Hayley asked Elijah. He almost rolled his eyes at her.

"She sounds like about a hundred someone's I know," he replied. "So why are you here now?" Elijah entreated Cami.

"I was finishing up my shift around 9 and I took the garbage out to the back alley when I heard this noise. I looked up and there's that woman who had come into the bar earlier, and she's all bloody and beaten. She must be a vampire because the werewolves attacked her and left her to die back there. Elijah, you have to come and help her," Cami begged.

Elijah shook his head. "Camille, I understand your compassion for this woman, and I admire it, I do. But Niklaus is not here, and my priority is to stay at the compound and keep Hayley safe until his return. I cannot leave, I'm sorry."

Tears filled Cami's eyes. "Elijah, if I could get her here on my own, I would, but there's no one else to help me and I'm not strong enough. She looks scared, Elijah, all she kept saying over and over again after I found her in the alley was 'hope' and I promised her I'd find her help-"

"Stop," Elijah demanded, cutting her off. "Repeat that."

Hayley's eyes were wide and she was holding her breath, praying that she had heard Camille wrong. She and Elijah exchanged a glance. Neither knew what this could mean, even though both knew that it could mean something terrible. Elijah reached for Hayley's hand under the table and she took it willingly, squeezing it as hard as she could, certain that if he had been human she would have broken all of his fingers.

"She looks scared. She doesn't want to die, and I promised I'd find her some help. That's why I'm here." Cami reiterated.

"No, not that. What did she say to you, in the alley?" Elijah asked.

"She only said one word, over and over again," Cami restated.

"What word?"

"Hope."

* * *

Hayley and Elijah both silently decided and agreed that any potential threat to their family trumped the surefire wrath that would be sustained from Klaus when he returned and discovered that they had left the compound. Hayley made a show of convincing Elijah that the girl should indeed be saved, and that she herself was no longer a porcelain doll and therefore should not be treated as such, especially when the life of another could be at stake and she would be at minimal risk. Elijah pretended to reluctantly agree and expressed to Camille that perhaps it was best that he save this vampire if he could (after all there were so few of them left in the Quarter) and could she take them to her please?

Cami agreed whole-heartedly and thanked Elijah for changing his mind (and silently thanked Hayley for talking him into it). Both Elijah and Hayley were careful not to let on as to why the sudden change of heart, but Cami was so exhausted from her earlier sense of panic and so elated at the thought that she may have finally done some good (poor girl had had a rough year) that she wasn't as observant as usual in that precise moment. The three of them arrived at the alley rapidly and Cami immediately rushed over to the woman.

"I'm back," she whispered, "And I've brought help."

The woman opened her eyes just barely, her breathing shallow. Cami had been right – the wolves had attacked her without mercy. She had at least half a dozen bites over her body and had lost a lot of blood.

Elijah stepped out of the shadows towards the girl. She looked small and helpless, lying propped up against the brick wall of the alley. She lifted her head ever so slightly and caught his eyes with hers. Camille had described her eyes perfectly – dark brown, nearly black – and they instantly recognized his. With all the strength she could muster, the girl took a breath, and with tears in her eyes whispered, "Hope."

Elijah could hear Hayley, who was standing not far behind him, stifle a sob. Cami cradled the woman's face as she lost consciousness before looking up at Elijah. "Do you recognize her?" she asked him.

He didn't answer. Elijah stood stoic for a moment, considering what to do next. He had to get Hayley back to safety, but the woman only had a few hours left to live, and he couldn't let her die like this. Klaus wasn't home, so taking her there would do little good now, unless…

He quickly made a decision.

"Camille I need you to do something for me," he spoke quickly, walking over to where the woman lay as he removed his suit jacket. He laid the jacked over top of the woman and scooped her up into his arms, making sure her head rested upon his shoulder. "I need you to go to the other side of the river, to where Marcel is, do you know the address?" Camille nodded hastily. "Good, I need you to go there and tell him that I need him to send you back here with a vile of my brother's blood as quickly as possible," he all but ordered, rising to his feet.

"Wait, Marcel has viles of Klaus's blood?" Cami asked incredulously. Her gaze passed from Elijah to the woman he carried to Hayley and back up to Elijah again. "I don't understand. Why can't you just wait for Klaus to come home?"

"Camille, I don't have time to explain and she doesn't have time to wait. Now, do you want me to save her life?" he asked. Cami nodded stoically. "Then I need for you to do this for me. Please," he pleaded.

"Of course," Cami agreed. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

Elijah turned around to face Hayley. "We must return to the compound quickly. We're not safe here with the werewolves patrolling the Quarter." Hayley nodded silently in agreement, and together the three of them returned home.

* * *

Back at the compound Elijah placed the woman gently on his bed and brushed her hair out of her face. Hayley stood in the doorway, her lips puckered and her hands on her hips.

"I don't understand why you wanted to bring her back here. I mean what if this is some kind of threat?" she demanded.

"I do not believe that someone would have risked their lives in such a reckless way simply to pass on an idle threat," Elijah explained.

"But what if it's not idle?"

"Hayley, anyone willing or able to threaten us in this manner would be well aware of the state of the French Quarter and what would happen to any vampire who entered it. This woman clearly was not, which is one of the reasons why I feel confident that she did not come here to threaten us, but to warn us. I am asking you to trust my judgment." This clearly ended the conversation.

Hayley remained quiet for a few minutes, not entirely satisfied by his answer but resigned to the fact that she was not going to win this argument and content with the fact that Klaus would handle things when he returned home.

"You didn't answer Cami before," Hayley observed shrewdly. Elijah turned his attention away from the woman and looked up, trying his hardest to hold back his irritation.

"What do you mean?" he inquired, moving around the bed and towards the door, out towards the terrace overlooking the courtyard.

"She asked you if you knew that woman, and you didn't answer her," Hayley explained, criticism dripping from her voice.

"Hmm…" Elijah mused, but offered no further explanation. It was close to 11 o'clock and Klaus had not yet returned. Elijah was beginning to assume that they would not see him again until at least morning. He believed that under the circumstances that would be a blessing.

"Well, do you? Know her?" Hayley asked outright. She was becoming frustrated by his caginess. Where once he would have been completely honest with her, she now felt he was keeping secrets. Elijah again dodged the question.

"Hayley, I need a few moments alone with the girl. Perhaps I can figure out why she is here. Will you please keep an eye out for Camille and let me know the moment she arrives?" he asked coldly. He was not in the mood to be interrogated, not when the fate of his family was potentially at stake. He turned abruptly and walked back into his bedroom, closing the door behind him.

Hayley huffed indignantly and crossed her arms. She did not like when people lied to her, but even more than that, she did _**not**_ like being told what to do. She walked down into the courtyard and sat in a wrought iron chair to plot her revenge against Elijah's detachment and wait for Cami.

Elijah approached the bed slowly. Everything about her was the same. He smiled a little to himself. Had he expected her to change? He felt fearful for the warning that she carried, yes, but also fearful for her life. Again he touched her hair, this time tucking a strand behind her ear. He knew she was in pain, and that the number of werewolf bites meant the venom was travelling quickly. He placed both of his hands on her head, hoping that he could see what was going on in her mind, and that maybe it would reveal something about why she was here.

"_You did what?" she shrieked. She was talking on a cell phone, clearly angry with whoever was on the other end._

"_I didn't have a choice. He gave me his word."_

"_And we all know how good that is," she replied, sitting down on a sofa. She was in a tiny studio apartment, just big enough for one, maybe two. She rested her face in her hand. "And what am I supposed to do now?"_

"_What do you mean?"_

"_Elijah, you've just signed my death warrant." She looked up, and tears were streaming down her face._

"_No."_

"_Yes. I trusted you. I was loyal to you. I helped you. And you went back on your word. He'll know that I helped you Elijah. He'll know what I've done and he'll kill me for it," she cried._

"_I promise I will not let that happen."_

"_What good are your promises to me now?" she yelled, clearly enraged. She stood up and began to pace in the tiny apartment. "How can I ever trust you again?"_

"_I just need time - just a few days for him to fulfill his end of the bargain. Then I will come back for you, and I won't let anything happen to you. Can you trust me?"_

_The woman paused for a long moment before she answered, considering her next words carefully. "I'm done waiting for you," she answered before hanging up the phone, sinking to her knees, and sobbing._

Elijah withdrew his hands and looked down at the woman mournfully. Her eyes were opened and she was staring straight up at him.

"Elijah…" she mouthed, her voice not even a whisper.

Before he could reply, he heard yelling from the courtyard.

"Elijah! Cami is here! She has the blood!"

"It's going to be okay," Elijah told her, leaning down and kissing her forehead. "We're going to save you."

* * *

Camille had returned to the compound with haste carrying two viles of Klaus's blood and a message for Klaus from Marcel. Elijah had taken the blood immediately and requested that Cami linger at the compound until Klaus returned so that she could deliver Marcel's letter herself. Cami suspected that Elijah's motives were somewhat less than honorable – should the woman wake and a blood bag not suffice, having a human on hand would be useful. Although Camille knew that Elijah wouldn't allow any harm to come to her, the idea still made her uneasy. This wouldn't be the first time Elijah had used her to feed someone who was ill.

Hayley waited in the study with Cami – she wasn't much in the mood for dealing with Elijah's stoicism or stubbornness at the moment and figured that Cami could use some company while awaiting her potential "fate". She could only hope Klaus would return quickly and sort this whole mess out.

Elijah sat patiently by her bedside for several hours, but the woman did not stir. Eventually he began to doze off, the events of the evening catching up to him. He was almost asleep when he heard a weak voice.

"Elijah," she whispered, opening her eyes ever so slowly. Elijah jumped up from his chair and sat gingerly on the edge of the bed, careful not to disturb her. He gently reached up and brushed a strand of her dark hair from her face and tucked it behind her ear, leaving his hand to rest by her shoulder so that he could lean over her. "Elijah," she whispered again, opening her eyes further, but never looking him in the eye.

"I'm here," he replied, his voice matching hers in softness. He held his breath to listen for hers – it was slow and even, unlike the jagged, gasping breaths she had been taking in the alley a few hours before. She was healing. "I'm here. You're safe for now." He wasn't quite sure how true this statement was; after all, Niklaus would be home soon. But for the moment, she would remain safe.

"Elijah, I made a mistake," she murmured. "I've made so many mistakes." She shook her head, still not looking him in the eye.

Elijah furrowed his brow. "That doesn't matter right now. Just rest," he assured her, leaning back to pull away. Before he could turn from her she snatched his hand in hers.

"Elijah, I need to warn…" she strayed off, her voice becoming strained with fear. "Please, don't let him kill me. I did something he won't forgive," she rambled.

"I remember."

"No, Elijah. I…I couldn't… I couldn't just leave…but the danger… I had to warn…" She wasn't making any sense.

"You need to heal. Please," he begged.

"Hope."

"I know, Hope is in danger, I know," he affirmed, trying to calm her.

"No. I came to tell you she's safe. And that I know who wants to hurt her."

This Elijah did _**not **_expect. But before he had the chance to glean any clarification, there was an interruption.

"Tell me who wants to hurt my child, and perhaps I'll consider letting you live," came a voice from the doorway.

Wide-eyed and trembling with fear, she pulled herself to a sitting position before locking her eyes on the man in the doorway and letting his name fall from her lips. "Niklaus."

"Hello again, Eden."


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you for all the support. This chapter is unbetaed so far so any mistakes are my own! Your reviews and follows have been greatly appreciated, so thank you to each and every reader!

* * *

Klaus returned some time after midnight from his jaunt in the bayou. He immediately marched up the stairs of the compound and into the study where he had left his brother and the little wolf (he still called Hayley by his pet name for her, even if it was technically no longer accurate). He was quite surprised to see Elijah missing and Cami there in his place.

"Klaus, thank God. Something's happened," Hayley exclaimed, jumping up instantly from her seat by the window and rushing over to him.

"Are you hurt?" Klaus's affection for Hayley had grown over the last several weeks. He couldn't help but see her differently now; she was taller somehow, she was stronger. She was his warrior wolf mama (he smiled inwardly at the phrase) and his heart couldn't help but swell in an unfamiliar way when he looked at her now.

Hayley shook her head fiercely. "No, I'm fine," she reassured, giving him a little smile. "But Elijah has done something I know you won't approve of. He's brought someone here."

Klaus's eyes glazed over with rage. "Who?" he growled.

"I found a woman behind Rousseau's earlier. The wolves attacked her. Elijah came with me and helped her," Cami interjected. "He sent me across the river to Marcel to get your blood. Marcel sent me back with this." She reached her hand out towards him, the envelope from Marcel clutched in it. Klaus reached out and took it from her, not taking his eyes off Hayley.

"The woman kept saying 'Hope,'" Hayley whispered, too quietly for Cami's human ears to hear.

"Thank you for your concern, Cami, and for your help," Klaus said slowly and evenly, peeling his eyes off Hayley to look at her. "You should head home now, it's getting late."

Cami felt a little rejected, but also relieved that she wouldn't be used as a blood bag tonight. She nodded, offered a half-hearted smile to them both, and headed for the door. "Thank you for your help, Hayley," she murmured over her shoulder on her way out.

"_Your_ help?" Klaus questioned as soon as Cami was out of earshot.

Hayley sighed. "At first Elijah refused to help outright. Once Cami told us that she kept saying 'Hope' I made a show of convincing him to leave the compound so we could find out what was going on. We couldn't let on what 'Hope' meant," she confessed.

Klaus took her face in his hands. "Smart girl," he praised. "Now, tell me where Elijah and our mystery visitor are, and I'll go take care of things."

* * *

"Tell me who wants to hurt my child, and perhaps I'll consider letting you live." Klaus had been listening from the doorway. To say that he was surprised by the identity of their company would have been an understatement.

She was still ill with fever, babbling nonsense mostly, but the sound of his voice brought her straight out of her reverie and to a state of explicit fear. "Niklaus."

"Hello again, Eden."

"Brother, if we may speak for a moment," Elijah requested, immediately placing himself between Klaus and the bed where Eden lay.

Klaus nodded in agreement. He was sure his brother planned to beg for Eden's life (not that it would do him much good), so he would give him the opportunity. After all, he would need a few moments to think over what method would be best to inflict maximum pain upon her death.

* * *

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't tear out her throat for even daring to show her face here after what she has done!" Klaus yelled, marching back into the study. Hayley's eyes widened as the two men charged into the room, and she backed away a little, but not much. She was interested to see where this interaction would take them.

"Because she risked her life to get to us. Brother, I implore you, give her a few hours to recover and then let me speak to her."

"How do we even know that she isn't dangerous? What do we know about this woman?" Hayley demanded.

"Hayley, please," Elijah dismissed her.

"No Elijah, this is a good story. Do you want to tell it, or should I?" Klaus asked. A shit-eating grin formed on his face as a response to the discomfort his brother was clearly in. Elijah sighed, exasperated, and walked to the window, turning his back on the other two. Klaus sat in the desk chair, leaning back to get comfortable. "You see back when my dearest brother was trying to kill me –"

"Not that you didn't deserve it," Elijah muttered.

"That's arguable. Anyway, back when he was attempting to use the doppelganger and her merry band of misfits to bring about my death he wasn't doing it all on his lonesome, were you brother? The dear Lady Eden was helping him." Klaus told the story with the usual theatric lift he held in his voice whenever something dramatic was taking place.

Hayley couldn't quite believe what she was hearing. So Elijah _did_ know this woman after all, and he had refused to tell her the truth. She filed that information away as something to scold him over later. She clearly had more information to learn about here tonight.

"And when my eldest and dearest brother failed to dispatch me to the depths of hell, his loving and loyal companion abandoned him for going back on his word and not following through with my demise. Does that about cover it, brother?"

Elijah took a deep breath. "As usual, Niklaus, you cover all the low points, while leaving your own involvement in the story by the wayside. It is a talent I have always admired in you," Elijah replied facetiously, turning to face Hayley while ignoring his still smirking brother completely. "I brought her here, Hayley, because I know that there is nothing to fear from her. I brought her here because I have known her longer than most people will ever know anyone, and because I trust her. As Niklaus has so _shrewdly_ observed, she was willing to betray the most feared of all creatures on this earth out of loyalty to _me_. Regardless of how that exchange ended –"

"Betrayal, treachery, six months daggered in a box –"

"I still believe that loyalty remains," Elijah continued, ignoring his brother's goading.

"What makes her so loyal to you?" Hayley asked. Elijah fidgeted – actually _fidgeted_ – uncomfortably before ignoring her question entirely and turning back to his brother.

"Niklaus, I am asking you to forgive her for her involvement in that plot as you have forgiven me, and I am asking you to give me a chance to talk to her and find out exactly what it is that she knows and why she has come back here," Elijah begged. "You and I both know she wouldn't have sought either of us out without a very good reason," he implored.

Klaus thought it over for a moment. He _had_ forgiven Elijah for trying to kill him. He had also allowed everyone complicit in the plan from Mystic Falls to live. He supposed that pardoning Eden wouldn't do any harm, especially if she had information that could be of use to them now. He looked up at Hayley and then back to his brother.

"Fine. Go and speak with her, and if her motives for being here are pure, we'll discuss wiping away her past transgressions," he agreed.

Elijah nodded. "Thank you, brother." He glanced over at Hayley whose arms were crossed over her chest before leaving her alone in the study with Klaus.

"Is there a reason why he never answers my questions?" she wondered out loud.

"And what question would that be, love?" Klaus responded.

"Why is this woman so loyal to him?"

"I would tell you, Hayley," he said thoughtfully, "If only it were my story to tell."

* * *

Elijah entered his bedroom as quietly as he could, hoping that Eden would be asleep. Thankfully, she was. It appeared that she had dozed off in a sitting position, which didn't appear very comfortable. Elijah tucked his suit jacket up over her shoulders – it was still draped over her from when he had retrieved her from the alley.

"Oh, Eden. I never thought I would see you again," he whispered. Elijah moved quietly out on to the balcony to wait until she woke. Hopefully she would be more coherent and he could get some information from her this time.

A parade was passing on the street below. People dressed in bright colors danced to lively music while tourists and locals alike watched and cheered from the sidewalks. It was a regular occurrence in the French Quarter, but somehow it felt more demure to him lately. Perhaps it was the loss of baby Hope, or the isolation and silence in the compound, but Elijah just couldn't find anything festive within himself as of late.

"Celebrations have changed a bit in the Quarter, haven't they?"

Elijah turned to find Eden standing on the balcony behind him, leaning against the door frame and looking down into the street below.

"A little too much pizzazz for my taste," she observed. Elijah took her in for a moment. Not a thing about her had changed. Her eyes were still as dark as ever, her hair still brown like chocolate, although a bit longer than the last time he had seen her, her face was still heart shaped, her lips still full. She was breathtaking. "Elijah, we need to talk."

"I agree." He led her back inside, sitting her back down on his bed so she was propped up by some pillows and her legs were elevated. She couldn't help but smirk at the way he fussed over her as if she were human. They both knew she would be just fine, but somehow he felt the need to take care of her. It gave her comfort. He didn't hate her.

Elijah busied himself with her pillows for as long as he could before he asked the first question that had been lingering in his mind since she had first mentioned it. "You said you did something he wouldn't forgive," he whispered. It came out as a statement rather than a question.

Eden immediately realized why Elijah was here. He wanted information. She hadn't yet been deemed worthy of remaining within the inner circle. "That's right," she answered him directly. "Either of you."

Elijah sat in the chair beside the bed, avoiding looking at her as much as possible. "I'm assuming you weren't talking about your complicity in my plans for his downfall. "

Eden closed her eyes. She couldn't stand the distance between them, even if he was only three feet from her. "No. That's not what I was talking about," she replied. "Although I am surprised that my head is still attached," she continued with a bit of a chuckle, attempting to lighten the mood in the room which had gone from comfortable to sedate in only a few short moments.

"Trust me _that_ took some doing. And it _is_ conditional, so I suggest that you tell me _everything_, beginning with what it is you have done that is so unforgivable." Serious Elijah was now in the room, and he was all business all the time. This was something Eden knew better than to mess with.

She swallowed heavily. "Elijah, you have to understand, I had no idea what was happening here with the witches, not until very recently." She could only hope that her ignorance would help her case.

"Eden, stop evading the issue. What have you done?"

Ok, so ignorance wasn't going to help. Eden reevaluated her approach and decided to be more direct. She paused for a moment and considered where to begin. "I had taken a witch into my confidence a few years ago. She was powerful; well connected. She was a Bennett witch." She stopped for a moment to wait for his reaction.

Elijah furrowed his brow. "That's impossible. The Bennett line ends with Abby and her daughter Bonnie, both of whom lost their magic quite some time ago." The memory of how Abby Bennett lost her magic brought Elijah remorse. After all, he had been instrumental in the events that had caused her to be turned.

"There was one other Bennett. A cousin."

Realization came over Elijah's face.

"Lucy."

Eden nodded. "About two or three months after she left Katherine, she found me. You and I had just stopped speaking."

"Yes, as I recall, I was in a box," he interrupted sarcastically.

"Would this be a good time for an 'I told you so'?" she asked tauntingly. Elijah glared at her. "That would be a 'no'."

"Good guess."

"Anyway, Lucy found me. She's one of those witches who never seems to survive very long without a vampire to hitch her wagon to. I offered her protection in exchange for her magic whenever I saw the need to use it," she explained. "That's how I found out you were daggered; I had her do a locator spell."

Elijah's eyes narrowed and he smirked at her, gratitude showing ever-so-slightly in his eyes. "That's how the Salvatores found the coffins."

"You didn't think Stefan was clever enough to figure that out all by himself, did you?" she asked in disbelief, smirking back. "No, what Lucy didn't know was that I…" she paused. Eden wasn't quite sure how he would react to this part.

"You _what_, Eden?"

"I was using Katherine," she confessed. "I was manipulating her to try and find you. I promised her I would put in a good word with you once you were safe and that I would try and get you to convince Klaus to lay off her somehow."

"Clever."

"Well, in her defense, how was she supposed to know that you and I were on the outs?" Eden paused for a moment and leaned forward as if preparing to offer comfort. "I'm assuming you know about her? About what happened?"

"That in her final moments she attempted to permanently commandeer the body of a young girl whose only crime was looking exactly like her? Yes, I am aware," he announced coldly.

"Okay then." Apparently talk about Katherine was officially _off _the table.

"So back to your tale. The Salvatores," Elijah redirected.

"Yes," she sighed, leaning back. "So I'm assuming you know the convoluted story of what happened during your six month nap, but needless to say the Salvatores decided to use Katherine as a decoy in their plot to kill Klaus, which didn't work out too well for them, or your father for that matter, but incidentally worked out very well for me, and you."

"How?"

"The coffins. I knew where the coffins were from the locator spell. I just had to figure out a way to let _them_ know where the coffins were without them knowing _I _was part of it, and more importantly, without _Klaus_ knowing that I was a part of it. So on the way out of town Katherine told Stefan where they were. He wanted revenge, so he stole the coffins, Damon un-daggered you, and the rest is history," she concluded, a hint of pride in her voice.

"And that's the unforgivable deed? You helped the Salvatores steal our coffins and in effect raise our mother who attempted – and might I add, nearly succeeded – in wiping us off the face of the earth?" Elijah asked.

Eden paused for a moment and considered this. "Ok, so I did_** two**_ unforgivable things."

Elijah sighed and rested his head in his hand.

"Continue."

"When Rebekah called me on her way out of New Orleans with Hope, she said she needed a witch. And I didn't hesitate. I knew exactly who to call."

"You provided Rebekah with the protection spell?"

"Yes. She asked me to find her a safe place and to meet her there with a witch and some essentials, so I did. She said absolute secrecy. The thing was – Elijah, I had no idea about the baby until Rebekah showed up," Eden admitted desperately.

"Eden, what did you do?"

"About two months ago I started having these dreams. They were so vivid, I swear they were real. It was like I was being… haunted."

"Haunted?" Elijah asked incredulously.

"I called Lucy immediately. I couldn't figure out what was happening to me. And that was when she told me what was happening to the Other Side. She said she spoke to Bonnie, who apparently became the anchor? Did you know about that?"

"You're stalling," Elijah accused impatiently.

"Okay. The Other Side was collapsing in on itself. And because of this instability supernatural creatures who were over there were all of a sudden able to make contact, I mean direct contact with the living," she explained quickly. She was becoming more and more wound up with each sentence.

"I am aware of this." The same thing had happened to him and his brother. Mikael had seen fit to make their every dream a nightmare for weeks and had even attempted to kill Hayley and her child. Then, suddenly, he was gone. Elijah knew what it was like to be haunted.

"And you're aware of who on the Other Side may have felt, compelled for lack of a better term, to contact me?" Eden suggested carefully.

Elijah stood and crossed the room, turning his back to her. He didn't want to hear of this.

"The dreams became more real, more vivid. He begged me to find a way to do something. Lucy said that nothing could be done, but then I remembered…"

Elijah spun and glared at her. "You remembered _what_?" he spat.

She dipped her head from his gaze in both fear and shame. "You once told me that you feared something would happen to your mother's grimoire, and that it was too precious and too unique to be lost, do you remember?" she asked rhetorically. "So you had me _copy_ it."

Elijah couldn't believe what he had just heard.

"_What _did you just say?"

"You had me copy your mother's grimoire and told me to keep it somewhere safe. And I did." Tears began to form in Eden's eyes. _This_ was her unforgivable act.

"When you said before that you couldn't leave…" The venom in Elijah's voice was palpable.

"Yes."

"You meant you couldn't leave _him_, didn't you?"

"Elijah…"

"Tell me what you did with my mother's spell book!" he demanded, taking her face in his hand and turning it to him. "This better be the most direct answer you've ever given, Eden. Your life may very well depend on it."

She had never seen him look so menacing, and that was saying something. She truly believed he would behead her himself if her next words were not the absolute truth.

"I had Lucy use one of your mother's spells to raise him from the Other Side," she confessed as tears fell from her eyes.

"To raise _whom_?" Elijah asked.

He knew the answer. He knew who she had brought back from the dead, and he loathed to hear the name fall from her lips, but he made her say it. He made her speak her betrayal aloud.

"Your brother," Eden whispered. "Kol."

Elijah released her face and let out a growl of fury.

"He was with me when Rebekah called. He heard everything. He wanted to come with me to meet her, said he wanted to see his baby sister again, and I didn't see the harm," she explained as quickly as she could, standing to follow him. "You know how he can be, once he gets an idea into his head."

"You risked _**everything**_!" Elijah yelled. "You risked my family! You risked my niece! All for some fling with my philanderer of a brother!"

"You got to see him again, Elijah! You got to know him again. I didn't. Your betrayal of me cost me more than just you. It cost me him, too," she yelled back, her vision blurry from her tears. She sat back down, resigned, and allowed herself to cry. "It cost me a chance at goodbye."

Elijah stood granite still, trying to decide whether to kill her himself or leave her to Niklaus.

"For someone who spent fifty years hell-bent on retrieving his family you're really fucking angry at someone who just told you she brought a piece of it back from the dead," she accused him quietly. "I didn't stand beside you for all those years hunting Klaus_ just_ out of loyalty. He took something from me, too."

This softened Elijah unexpectedly.

"Elijah, if you had seen him in those dreams, he looked so scared. I haven't seen him look like that since…"

Elijah sat in the chair across from her.

"He was so frightened. People were being sucked away into darkness and he feared it could be him at any moment. I just _couldn't_ leave him there," she cried, her tears staining her cheeks. "I couldn't do _nothing_."

Elijah sat in silence for a moment. He couldn't understand her affection for his younger brother. "Even after what he did to you?" he asked her.

"I'm sitting here after what_ you_ did to me, aren't I?" she retorted, fixing him with a stare. "Call it the charisma of the Mikaelson boys if you want."

"Fine," he agreed. "So where is Kol now?"

"Lucy freaked out when she saw Hope. She connected the dots, so to speak, and told me something that she'd been keeping from me since the night before," Eden explained.

"And what was that?"

"After she put up the protection spell she told me that while she was doing the incantation to raise Kol she felt a connection to another witch. It was almost as if they were channeling one another. She said she saw flashes of a young girl with dark hair in a white dress. Elijah, she was saying the same spell at the exact same time."

"That's impossible. The only duplicate of that spell exists in the original copy of my mother's grimoire," Elijah dismissed.

"And where is that grimoire?"

"It's here in my room."

"May I see it?"

Elijah glared at her for a minute before standing and walking to his bookshelf. He opened a built-in cabinet door on the bottom of the shelf and unlocked a safe hidden within, retrieving the spell book before walking back over and handing it to Eden. "By all means."

Eden opened the book and carefully turned each page. "Did you put this one in here upside down on purpose?"

"What?"

"Take a look."

Indeed, what Eden had said was true. Facing the opposite direction from all the other spells in the book was the exact one required to raise a supernatural creature from the dead. He was flabbergasted. Someone had removed this spell from the grimoire and replaced it in reverse. He had left it in the office the day Hope was born, three weeks ago. That must have been when the spell was used.

"Know any witches powerful enough to do this spell?" Eden asked him.

Elijah sighed. "Only one." He took the book from her and placed it on the end table. "Where is Kol now?" he asked again.

"I told him I needed to come here and warn you. He refused. He wanted us to run away together."

"I don't understand, why would he run?" Elijah wondered.

"Think about it Elijah. Who on the Other Side would know that this spell exists? Who would want more than anything to come back from the dead and annihilate your family? Whose resurrection would strike fear in the heart of a Bennett witch the moment she saw your brother's child?"

All of these questions swirled around Elijah's head. The knowledge of who hit Elijah as if the wind had been knocked out of him, filling him with disbelief quickly followed by fear and then anger.

"Mikael."

"Mikael." Eden repeated. "Kol ran like the wind, and I can't say I blame him. You're all in danger."

"So why didn't you run with him?" he asked. She could be anywhere in the world with his brother, hidden away and safe. Why would she run straight towards the danger?

"Because you needed to be warned," she responded.

"Surely a phone call would have sufficed."

"I can't help you defeat your father over the phone."

"Defeat?" he asked skeptically. "You came back to _help_ us?"

"The way I see it, regardless of what's happened between us, I still owe you," she said.

"You just told me that you were responsible for my un-daggering. Your debt is paid."

"I don't owe you for abandoning you after you let Nik live," she clarified. "I wouldn't be alive at all if it weren't for you. Elijah your family may be all that _you_ have, but _you_ are all _I _have. And I'll fight with you until the bitter end. I promised you that a long time ago, and I don't break my promises."

Elijah smiled. He reached over and gently took her hand.

"Thank you, Eden." She smiled back warmly. "I must tell Niklaus."

"Do you mind convincing him not to kill me first? 'Cause I'm thinking that may help things a bit," she requested lightheartedly.

Elijah laughed for the first time in what felt like forever, and it warmed Eden down to her toes.

"I'll defend you on the coffin bit. As far as Kol's concerned, you're on your own." Elijah stood and began to walk out of his bedroom towards the study, with Eden following close behind.

"Just promise not to bury me in New Orleans."

"Deal."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: So this chapter is also in an unbetaed state, meaning all mistakes are my own. I apologize for the delay, I took ill for a few weeks but am feeling much better now and should be updating much more regularly. I am upgrading the rating because of the start of this chapter (and chapters to come). I appreciate all of your feedback, follows, and favorites, and for sticking with me through this! Enjoy!**

_Kol and Eden lay resting in bed side by side. It had only been a few hours since Lucy had cast the spell which had raised him, and they had spent that time taking advantage of being together again – in every way that they could. Kol ran his hand slowly up Eden's calf to her thigh, allowing it to rest on her bare hip. He traced his fingers in slow circles along her flesh, drawing figure eights and other unrecognizable patterns._

"_It's amazing to be able to feel again," he whispered, letting his hand continue to wander over her body. _

"_It's amazing to be able to feel you again," she replied, turning to lay on her back, leaving herself exposed to him. She reached her hands up over her head and closed her eyes, allowing herself to take in the sensation of his fingers fluttering over her skin. _

"_It's been a long time," he said absently, brushing his hands over her stomach and trailing them down her hipbones. He wanted to reacquaint himself with every inch he had once memorized. _

_She pushed the thought away to the best of her ability. It had been over a hundred years. If not for Elijah she would have been there to see him again when he awoke – she would have been there to get to know him again. She might have been able to prevent it all. _

_But that was in the past. All that mattered now was Kol's hands travelling dangerously low on her body and the moan of approval that she had absently allowed to slip from her throat._

"_Ahhh… I think I've discovered what someone wants. Can you ask nicely, love?" he teased. His hands ran up and down the inside of her thighs, allowing him to situate himself in a prime viewing area. Eden glared down at him._

"_You wish," she teased back, a small smirk forming on her face._

_Before the game could continue any further, they were interrupted by the ringing of a cell phone. Eden groaned and reached over to the bedside table to see who was calling._

"_Ignore it," Kol demanded._

"_I can't," she replied, sitting up quickly and answering the phone. "Rebekah, what is it?"_

* * *

Eden found herself wandering around the compound. A shouting match was still going on between the Mikaelson brothers in the study – although it appeared that Elijah hadn't even gotten to the good parts yet. She allowed herself this time alone to reminisce.

The old courtyard was just as she remembered it; a large 'M' was carved in stone by the entrance, the wooden rails had seen better days – and some had even been replaced – but the layout was all still the same. She wondered if her old bedroom was still set up the way she remembered it.

Eden allowed herself to sneak down the hall and peek through the opened door. She could quickly tell that although it was still the same room, it was far from unoccupied. She slipped in quietly and found herself standing in the doorway of what had once been her washroom, but was now a lavishly decorated nursery, complete with crystal mobile hung over the crib –she had seen one quite similar before – and a painting of the New Orleans skyline hanging on the wall, no doubt done by Klaus. Sitting by the window in a wooden rocking chair was Hayley, staring blankly out the window, but clearly aware of the other woman's presence.

"Sounds like you've set off quite the knockdown drag out in there," she commented quietly, rocking herself back and forth.

Eden smiled to herself humorlessly. "It wouldn't be the first time," she replied. She walked slowly into the room, careful to watch for any sign that she was intruding. "This mobile is beautiful," she remarked, hoping to open a dialogue.

"Klaus built the nursery when he wanted to convince me to stay with the…" she trailed off, her voice breaking. Eden avoided her eyes, allowing her privacy, and instead turned her attention back to the crystals.

"Klaus may have put the nursery together for you, but this mobile was all Elijah's doing," Eden said wistfully, reaching up to tap it lightly. "I've seen one much like it before, a long time ago."

She reluctantly let her hand fall to rest on the edge of the crib and looked back into Hayley's surprised eyes.

"Why did you come here?" Hayley asked after a moment of silence. She had a million questions running through her mind, but this was the simplest one she could come up with. Eden thought for a moment.

"Rebekah asked me for my help, and I think she knew that I would do more than just help her hide. I think she knew I would come here," Eden responded quietly.

"Why? How would she know that? What would make you come?" Hayley asked in rapid succession, sitting forward in anxious anticipation of the answers. Who was this woman and what was her connection to their family?

Eden sighed softly. "I have something for you." She gently reached into the front breast pocket of her jacket and pulled out a small photograph, no larger than a wallet insert, and handed it to Hayley.

"Oh!" Hayley gasped as tears poured down her cheeks. It was a picture of her Hope – the only photograph she had of her daughter. She gazed at it for several moments, running her fingers softly over her chubby cheeks and bright eyes, which had darkened over her first few weeks of life, as many babies' do, to match her own. Her hands began to tremble and Eden knelt in front of her, taking Hayley's hand in both of her own.

"I had to give this to you now, while the boys were distracted," she paused for a moment before continuing. "Hayley," she continued urgently, "They can never know that you have this. Not even Klaus, do you understand? They would take it from you. It was dangerous for me to even bring it here. If anyone were to see this…"

"I know," Hayley agreed, nodding fiercely. "But I don't understand. You don't even know me. Why would risk bringing this to me? Elijah and Klaus would both kill you if they knew."

Eden took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "There is nothing worse for a parent than to be separated from their child," she explained slowly. "Keep it somewhere safe."

"I will."

Eden smiled at her reassuringly before releasing her hand and standing to walk away.

"Eden?" Hayley stopped her.

"Yes, Hayley?" she responded, turning around when she reached the door.

"I asked Klaus but he wouldn't tell me."

"Asked him what?" she wondered curiously.

"What happened between you and Elijah? Why are you so loyal to him?" Hayley questioned.

Eden furrowed her brow. "Klaus wouldn't tell you that?" Hayley shook her head. Eden chuckled. "I figured he'd be chomping at the bit to reveal all of my secrets."

"He said it wasn't his story to tell," Hayley replied.

"Truth be told it's not wholly my story to tell either," Eden began, "But I'm loyal to Elijah because he turned me."

"I figured that much."

"No Hayley, you don't understand. Elijah didn't just turn me. I was the first vampire Elijah ever turned. I was the first vampire any of them turned."

Hayley's eyes grew wide.

"Besides the Originals, I'm the oldest vampire in the world."

* * *

"So Kol is just wandering about out there, somewhere," Klaus announced, gesturing theatrically with his tumbler as he spilled scotch all over the Persian rug. Elijah winced. That would cost a fortune to have cleaned.

"I highly doubt Kol is just _wandering_ anywhere, brother." Elijah began, taking a seat on the sofa. "Knowing him he has settled somewhere with plenty of food and beautiful women to engage his more _hedonistic_ side. And in the meantime I suggest we leave him to it and focus on the more important matters at hand," he concluded.

"Ah yes! Father dearest has decided to lovingly grace us with his presence yet again! I am overjoyed!"

"Niklaus, please, enough with the posturing. I understand you're angry, but can we be civilized adults now, or do you plan on finishing that bottle first?" he asked with a hunt of sarcasm. Klaus offered a smirk and was about to turn out a rather rude hand gesture when a knock on the door interrupted their bickering.

"Enter," Elijah called, watching Klaus take another swig from his tumbler. He shook his head slowly and turned to see Eden entering the room, with Hayley not far behind her.

"So, have we decided if I'm dying yet?" Eden asked, only half joking.

"Don't press me," Klaus warned, pointing his glass in her face. "I have very little patience for you."

Eden took this as a 'no' and moved to sit on the couch across from Elijah, mouthing a silent 'thank you' in his direction. He nodded quickly at her before turning to look at Hayley, who seemed much more at peace than she had the last time he had seen her.

"Are you alright?" he inquired, watching as she moved to sit next to Eden (which seemed rather unusual).

"I'm fine," she responded, offering him a small smile. Elijah's heart nearly dropped to his stomach. He hadn't seen that smile in nearly a month. He turned to Eden and raised an eyebrow, silently asking what she had done to change Hayley's demeanor. Eden gave him her 'I don't know what you're talking about,' face, which clearly meant she had been up to something. He made a mental note to ferret that information out of her later.

"So what's the plan?" Hayley asked first. Clearly she had been filled in on the basics.

"We need to find out where Mikael is," Elijah replied.

"Davina will know," Klaus shouted from the desk at the back of the room, making everyone turn to glare at him and causing at least one person (it must have been Eden) to make an 'inside voices' comment.

"It's not like she's going to tell you, I mean if she was willing to raise him she must have been pretty pissed at one of you for something," Eden assumed.

"Well, Niklaus did murder her one true love as well as attempt to kill her best friend, so of the two of us…" Elijah informed them, his tone nonchalant.

"Yes, yes, blame it all on me," Klaus whined.

"When in Rome," Hayley chimed in, eliciting a smirk from Elijah.

"Ok, so how do we find out what she knows?" Eden pondered.

"She trusts Cami," Hayley interjected.

"Good, we can use that. Eden, you'll go with Camille to see her," Elijah decreed.

"Are we forgetting the huge werewolf pack outside?" Eden reminded them. "Not that being bitten about a dozen times wasn't a trip, but I think I've had about all the venom I can handle for one week."

"I'll arrange a meeting with Francesca," Klaus declared. "That should keep them distracted long enough for you to get out of the compound, talk with Davina, and get back."

"So that's the plan, then?" Hayley asked.

"That's the plan," Elijah confirmed. They all nodded in agreement and Klaus returned to his scotch.

* * *

Eden had volunteered to help Klaus stagger back to his room after the evening of plotting (and drinking) was over, leaving Hayley and Elijah alone in the study. They sat across from each other in silence, each waiting for the other to be the first to speak.

It was Hayley who broke the ice. "Why didn't you just tell me who Eden was in the first place?"

Elijah's brow furrowed (his usual response these days). "I'm not sure what you mean."

"Why didn't you tell me that she was the first vampire you ever turned?" Hayley asked.

Elijah sighed. "So she told you, then?"

Hayley shook her head. "She didn't tell me much. She said something similar to Klaus, that the whole story wasn't hers to tell. I'm assuming you're the last piece to that puzzle."

Elijah stood and began pacing the room. Hayley had never seen him quite so restless, so she remained quiet and allowed him to take his time before speaking.

"Eden was a member of our village when we lived in what is now called Mystic Falls. She was young, beautiful, and very much alone in life. Her parents had died some years before and she had grown up without a family. She barely had a home. My mother looked out for her, made sure she was well taken care of. We _all_ watched her grow up. When she was maybe seventeen she married one of the most suitable young men in the village and they were very happy, for a time.

"When my father forced my mother to cast the spell that would turn us into vampires Eden was one of the few we were able to confide in. She was fond of my brother Henrik, and his death was difficult on her, as it was on all of us.

"When she had been married less than 10 years Eden took ill with a disease that there isn't even a name for in the modern world; her husband was terrified of losing her. My mother sent him away on a task and while he was gone she had me feed her my blood.

"Unfortunately this happened at a very inopportune time.

"We knew that our blood had healing powers, and my mother had hoped that by the time her husband returned, Eden would have recovered. Instead, our village was destroyed…"

"By Klaus," Hayley interrupted. Elijah stopped and looked up at her.

"Yes, by Niklaus. He killed nearly everyone, including our mother; including Eden. Her husband returned and was beside himself with grief. I felt guilt, I felt rage, and I felt pity for both her husband and Niklaus. Her husband fled and Rebekah, Niklaus and I made our vow to one another.

"Always and forever," he whispered bitterly.

"We were preparing to leave together when we heard a woman crying. We were sure none had been left alive, but there was Eden, lying in her bed where I had left her the day before. My mother's friend, the witch Ayana wasn't difficult for us to find. She had been visiting the next village with herbal remedies. We found her, convinced her to make a daylight ring for Eden and then had her feed to complete the transition. It turned out finding Ayana was a mistake, as she was the one who preserved our mother's body so that she could return, but I digress…

"Eden has remained a loyal friend for over a millennium. She is basically as old as we are and we have always considered her a member of the family.

"That is the story Hayley, at least as much of it as I can tell," Elijah concluded, pouring himself a glass of scotch and sitting back down across from her.

Hayley thought this over for a long time. "So she's loyal to you because you saved her?"

"Something like that," he replied.

"I have one more question." Elijah nodded for her to go ahead. "Eden said something to me earlier about there being nothing worse for a mother than to be separated from her child."

"Yes," he whispered, staring at the floor blankly.

"She had a baby, didn't she?" Hayley asked him. "She had a baby and it died."

"Her child was taken from the village by her husband while she was ill, to prevent the sickness from spreading," he declared.

"Did she ever find her baby again?"

Elijah looked mournfully at her. "No. She never did. I think perhaps that's why she's here; to help you reunite with Hope," he confessed.

Hayley nodded solemnly. "Maybe you're right." She stood and walked away slowly before stopping suddenly and turning back around. "Elijah?"

"Hmm?"

"The mobile over the crib, did you make that?"

Elijah looked up, puzzled.

"It's just; Eden said that you were the one who had made it. I wanted to thank you. It's really beautiful," she explained, smiling timidly.

"You're welcome," he replied, smiling back. "Goodnight, Hayley."

"Goodnight, Elijah."

* * *

When Elijah returned to his bedroom after two (fine, three) glasses of scotch, he found Eden standing out on the balcony. He stood behind her against the doorjamb for a long while, just watching her hair blow in the wind.

"You smell like scotch," she called behind her. He smiled but remained quiet for another few minutes, watching the first few rays of sunlight poke over the skyline.

"You told her about Jacob," he said finally.

"No," she replied. "But I figured you'd fill in the details. What did you tell her, exactly?"

"Only what she needed to know," he answered, walking to stand beside her and look down upon the street below. "You were married, your husband was saving your child when you died, and that I turned you inadvertently," he listed.

"Nothing else?"

"I didn't think it was necessary, at least not yet," he responded. They watched the sunlight begin to kiss the tops of the buildings together for another few moments before Elijah spoke again. "I know about the photograph."

Eden's head snapped up and her eyes asked 'how'? Elijah chuckled.

"I felt it in your pocket as I carried you here, and Hayley's change in demeanor gave it away. Don't worry, I won't take it from her," he reassured.

"I know it was dangerous, but I would give anything to see a picture of my little boy," she confessed, wiping away a tear. "She made the greatest sacrifice she could to keep that baby safe. The least she deserves is to remember what she looks like."

Elijah slid his hand over on the railing and placed it on top of hers, squeezing lightly. Eden closed her eyes, taking in the sensation.

"Rebekah is clever, I'll give her that. She knew you would take one look at that baby and come running here to help us," Elijah mused.

"Like I told Hayley, there's nothing worse for a mother than to be separated from her child."

"A good one anyway," he murmured. "I have to say, I know a few fathers who feel that way as well." Eden looked up her eyes filled with tears and Elijah caught her gaze, holding it for several moments before squeezing her hand and releasing it. "Please stay here for now. Try and get some rest," he offered, leaning in to kiss her forehead before disappearing back inside the compound.

Eden sighed remorsefully, allowing a few tears to fall down her cheeks before wiping them away along with the feeling of Elijah's hand pressed against the back of hers. 'Of all the Mikaelson men, Elijah would have made the best father,' she thought to herself before taking one last look over the city and retreating inside to get some much needed rest.

It didn't take her long to drift off with Elijah's scent surrounding and comforting her as she fell asleep.


End file.
